Total cruise passenger traffic last month stood at 46,574, up by 38.5 per cent over the corresponding month last year. There were 25 cruise liner calls with an average 1,863 passengers per vessel.

The National Statistics Office said the number of passengers in transit amounted to 43,862 and those who embarked from Malta stood at 1,851.

Passengers from EU countries amounted to 39,539, Italy being the predominant market. Same-day visitors from non-EU countries stood at 7,035, a decrease of 16.7 per cent when compared to 2009.

Total cruise passenger traffic in Malta by mid-year stood at 203,798, a 50.4 per cent growth over the comparative period last year. Same-day visitors from EU countries amounted to 162,846.

Italian and German passengers were the leading visitors, with 30.8 and 23.2 per cent, respectively, of the total. Non-EU passengers stood at 40,952, a drop of eight per cent.

On a gender basis, female passengers stood at 104,034 and males at 99,764. The majority of passengers were aged between 60 and 79, followed by those in the 40-59 age bracket, at 64,659.

There were 111 cruise liner calls in the first half of this year, 17 more than last year.